Beam and the like for building construction



Aug. 1l, 1936. A. RAFTER 2,051,016

BEAM AND THE LIKE FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 20, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ISA ' INVENTOR BY /0 Wu ATTORN EY Aug. 11, 1936. A.RAFTER 2,051,016

BEAM AND THE mm FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 7 Filed Jan. 20, 1954 2Sheet-Sheet 2 629W; 5/ I v BY%?% ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1936 sump-3o:smrss PATENT O'F'Flfi BEAM AND THE LIKE FOR-BUILDING CONSTRUCTION "JohnO. Rafter, J r.

.--: iApplic'ation :Januaryi'20, 1934; Serial No.-:707,515

6 Claims. This invention :firelates'. :te improvements inbeams'andzboards and thelikerforluse inbuilding construction;:amdrwmoreparticularly r-to= such beams and boards which comprise a combinationofi'metallic. members and acementitious material,

.11-:Inbui1ding cons'imuction; itzhasheretoforebeen thetgeneralpractice-to use steelbeams :and steel members 'becausetfoftheirfgreatstrength and-fireresisting squalities. ZHoweveneinsoiar-as fireresistance is' c'oncerned, the steel beam is not as Jefiectiveasis'generally believed,'for steel is agood 'ICOIldllCtOYJOf heat; andin'the presence of' in- :tensei'heat thestrength of the beam or-memberis considerably decreased; which results, in -many instances,v a:'complete collapse of buildings caused by buckling; bending r and'failure of the steel members.

I "It is an :object :of this invention 'to provide "buildingconstruction" beams: and boards which .have'rall. of the. strength 'of'the well-known =stee1 rnembers and atthe same time areprotecte'd fromthe effects of intense *heat; by fire-resisting cementitious material.

1.A'.'.furtherobjectis'the provision of building construction membershaving metallic elements, and filledor covered with acementitious-material such as gypsum or the like,- so that the buildingmember has a finished appearance and is adapted to be efiectively. usedin'numerous "situations without requiringfinishing as is the case withthe usual steel building member.

Aafurtherobjectis the provision of building members formed of: steelelements and a cementitious material, the steel elements being so shapedas to-provide-very great strength in com- --parison: totheistrength ofthe-.ordinary steel member :of the same weight.

-. 'I-'hese and-.other'ad-vantageous objects which will later;appear,:are accomplishedby the simple and ipracticalconstruction and arrangementof parts hereinafter 'described and exhibited in theaccompanyingadraMngs, forming -.parthereof, "and in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view-of a-beam constructed Tin accordance with myinvention,

.Fig; 2' is a:sideelevationalview-ofa metal elementusedin the beamshownin Fig. 1,

1 Fig. 3 is asectional view of armodified form of beam,

-. Fig. 4 is a sideelevationalview:of ametal ele- "mentusedlin'the beamshown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of another modification'g 'and Fig. 6 is aside elevational view of the metal element used therein,

" Fig. 7 is across-sectional viewo-f the metal element,

*Fig.i'8 is aside elevational view of the metal elerment used'i'n' thebeamshown in Fig. '7,

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view :of a further -5 "modified'form,

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the metal element used 'inthe-beamshown inFig. 9,

" Fig; '11 is across sectio'nal' view-of a further modified form, 10

' Fig. 12- is aside-elevational view -of the' metal element-used in the'beam' shown'in Fig. 11,

"Fig. *13-is a. cross-sectional view of a further 'modified'form, and I"Fig. '14 is a side elevational-view-of the'metal 15 element usedinthe-bearn shown in Fig. 13.

Referringtodiig. 1'; a building beam is shown to compriseachannelledmetal member having 'side"walls"or flanges l 5= and abottomwall: or web Hi, from which are inwardly struck a plurality of*spaced cylindrical fianges H, the side walls"! 5 be- -ing"provided withinwardly directed flanges I 8,

which in turn, haveright a ngula'rly inwardly di- :rected portionsIQ.The chan'nel is filled with a cementitiousmaterial 20, such asgypsum orthe like; whichmaterial is forced around and within the cylindricalflanges 11. "It willbe noted that the cylindrical flangesare arranged sothat considerable metal is taken from the center line of enablesacompact and 'fin-ished beam well adapted for use in'many "situations inbuilding-constructiomat the'same time providing heat insulation toprotect the metallic 'channel member.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modified formin which a centerweb'plate'has'stru'ck from the center line thereof a' 'pluralitybfspaced central flanges 2 1 -and 2'2 the flanges 2 l being struckin'onedirecti'on and the flanges 22 being struck in an 'oppo'site'direction- The plate 20 is pro- .45 vided at its'edges with right-angledflanges 23 to whichare welded channel member 24; the side walls 25 ofwhich are provided with inturned flanges 26. A cementitious material'ispacked r into the cylindrical flangesand around the plate 20 andin thechannels-Mas shown'in Fig. 3. By

having the'fi'anges 2|. and 22'struck out inoppo'site directions-as=explalned:and shown, means are provided for holding the cementitiousmaterial very efiectively on the web plate 20.

flanges 5 l In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a modified form comprising a metalchannel member having a bottom wall or web 21 and side walls or flanges28, from which are inwardly struck a plurality of spaced cylindricalflanges 29. The side walls 28 are provided with right-angular flanges 30which are turned back upon themselves to form hooks 3| which cooperatewith hooks 32 on a plate 33, which is positioned between flanges 30 asshown in Fig. 5. The channel is filled with the cementitious material,which is effectively held in position by the cylindrical flanges 29, thelatter also giving great strength to the beam without increasing theweight, due tothe disposing of metal from the longitudinal center lineof the side walls to a position near the bottom wall and the' flanges30. r

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a further modification wherein a pair ofchannelled members are spaced from each other, each of said membershaving side walls or flanges 34 and a bottom wall or web 35 from whichare struck inwardly a plurality of spaced cylindrical flanges 36. Theside walls 34 are bent back upon themselves to provide hooks 31 whichcooperate with hooks 38 on plates 39 positioned between the side walls34.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a further modified form in which two spaced channelmembers are positioned so that they open toward each other, each of saidchannel members having side walls or flanges 40, a bottom wall or web4|, from which are inwardly struck a plurality of cylindrical flanges42. The side walls 40 are bent back upon themselves to provide hooks 43,and a cementitious material 63 is fllled in the channels, the hooks 43and flanges 42 effectively holding the material in place. Thisstructure. provides a beam which is simple in construction, yet havinggreat strength and fire resisting qualities.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12 there is shown a modified form of beam inwhich the metal members are almost completely covered by a cementitiousmaterial. Thebeam comprises two spaced metal plates 44 each of which hasflanges 45, which are bent back upon themselves to provide hooks 46; andstruck alternately outwardly and inwardly along the longitudinal centerline of each plate are a plurality of spaced cylindrical flanges 41 and48. Cementitious material is packed into and around the flanges 41 andthe hooked portions 46 and between the plates 44 as shown in Fig. 11 sothat when the beam is completed the flanges 45 are the only metal partsexposed.

In Figs. 13 and 14 is shown a modified form of beam comprising two metalplates 49 of similar shape, each of said plates having struck inwardlyalong the longitudinal center line thereof a plurality. of cylindricalflanges 50, the cylindrical flanges of the two plates abutting eachother as shown in Fig. 13. Each plate is provided with flanges 5|.having hooked portions 52. Cementitious material is packed all aroundthe plates and forced in the cylindrical flanges 50 and between theflanges 5| so that the only metal parts exposed when the beam iscompleted'are the Such a beam has great strength and high fire-resistingcharacteristics.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided abuilding beam of great strength and simple structure which has highfire-resisting characteristics. The metal members used in constructingthese beams are preferably formed from sheet material by passing flatsheets of metal between properly shaped die rolls. In this manner, themetal elements can be formed very rapidly and at a small cost. It isobvious that themeans disclosed herein have great tensile strength; andthe compressive and bending strength of the beams are considerablyincreased by the removing of metal from the longitudinal center lines ofthe metal elements, to a position adjacent the edges of the metalelements, it be ing well known that the metal along the longitudinalcenter line is not affected one way or the other as far as bending isconcerned.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed includingmany modifications, without departing from the general scope hereinindicated and denoted in the appended claims. 1

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: i

"1. In a beam for building construction, a metal channel member having aweb and side flanges, said web having a plurality of spacedcylindricalflanges struck alternately inwardly and outwardly along thelongitudinal center line thereof.

2. In a beam for building construction, a web plate having rightangularly directed flanges and a plurality-of spaced cylindrical flangesstruck alternately inwardly and outwardly therefrom along thelongitudinal center line thereof, plates attached to the right angularlydirected flanges and cementitious material packed between said platesand completely covering the web plate.

' 3. In a beam for building construction, a pair of spaced plates, eachof said plates having right angular directed flanges, and a plurality ofspaced cylindrical flanges struck therefrom along the longitudinalcenter line thereof, the cylindrical flanges of the two plates abuttingeach other, and cementitious material packed through said cylindricalflanges and. around said plates so that the right angular directedflanges are the only part of the plates exposed.

4. In a beam for building construction, a pair of spaced plates, each ofsaid plates having right angular flanges, and a plurality of spacedcylinflanges are the only portions of the plates exposed.

5. A beam for building construction, comprising a channel member havinga Web and right angular directed flanges provided with inturned flanges,said web having a plurality'of spaced portions struck inwardly along thelongitudinal center line thereof to form tubular" flanges, andcementitious material packed in said channel member between the web andsaid flanges and around said spaced portions. v r

6. In a beam for" building construction, a metal channel member having aweb and side flanges, said web having a plurality of spaced portionsstruck alternately inwardly and outwardly along the longitudinal centerline thereof, and cemen- 'titious material packed in said channel member

